variants
also dumfounding
as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
the dumbfounding sight of the race car driver walking away from that horrific crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also dumfounding
as in amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dumbfounding
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
Stroud’s development has stalled in Houston, where the Texans’ offensive line has long been a problem but can’t explain his erratic decision-making and dumbfounding turnovers.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfounding
Adjective
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Step through that doorway and visitors are greeted by Penryn Grill, a full-service restaurant that has become one of Placer County's most surprising dining destinations.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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That outcome would amount to a surprising end to what had been a rocket-ship campaign for the 42-year-old gadfly.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
Verb
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In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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These sprinklers detect motion and will squirt bursts of water, startling squirrels and chasing them out of your garden.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
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One of the more startling nuggets the doc reveals concerns Paul Bateson, the former radiological technician convicted of Verrill’s murder.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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Where the movie’s true eccentricity comes in is in its combination of breezy comedy with shocking brutality and gore, perhaps most exemplified in an oddly casual moment in a morgue where Seagal and Wayans find a clue in the form of a serial number on a dead woman’s breast implant.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
5 June 2026
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Crayton said that the decision to allow Alabama to ignore the lower court’s ruling was shocking.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Nordstrom has really sweet jewelry pieces at not-astonishing price points.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The daring attack, a symbol of Ukraine's innovative drone efforts reminiscent of that stunning operation last year in which Ukraine hid drones in shipping trucks, releasing them deep in Russia and striking military airfields.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning 2018 defeat of Representative Joe Crowley, a Queens party boss and member of the Democratic House leadership, catapulted her to international fame.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dumbfounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfounding. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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